I am honored to be recognized with the important award established by our Past President and my dear friend, Ann Jacobs, who has been instrumental in moving our organization forward.

I truly want to thank Benji Wagner for his generosity in giving me this honor. Ben has been a hard working partner this year, and because of his efforts we were able to inaugurate the Justice Dinner Gala with great success; so much so that Ben has been named to be my successor in leading the Justice Fund for the next many years. The term, by the way, is ten years. I have passed on my equipment, including my kneepads to him, which I have found to be very helpful in solicitation of donations from our members.

Seriously, however, this award must be shared with our many, many volunteer WAJ members. Without their efforts and many hours of calling, cajoling, and convincing their colleagues to donate to the Justice Fund, we would not have had a success, so I salute all of you.

The Justice Fund was created to help form a way to make sure that our collective voices could help effect change, but also to protect the fundamental liberties we hold dear, among the dearest, the right to trial by jury.

Together, we have supported our elected public servants in our efforts to do just that.

We have supported hundreds of fine candidates over the past ten years, running for races from Governor to Supreme Court; from Assembly Representative to Wisconsin Senate; and to local and county judicial races. In each case, our goal was clear. We worked together for people who would help us in our efforts to improve the lot of the injured, the oppressed and the wronged, and strikeout against injustice.

The work we have done will go on. Win or lose. Hopefully, we will prevail. We must keep the faith with each other, however, and with those who step forward to take on the challenge of a campaign and the mantle of leadership.

I know I will stay in the fight as I have all of my life, and I hope you will join me.

I wish to thank my family for their support during my years of service to WAJ. My daughters were in high school when I was elected to leadership in WAJ. Now, my daughter Rachel Bradley, is a young attorney, a member of WAJ, serves on our committees and is a member of the WAJ Board of Directors .

My daughter Hannah, is a senior paralegal in my firm and a contributing member of WAJ's Paralegal Section.I wish to thank them for their love and support throughout the years.

My husband Paul, deserves the greatest thanks. His understanding of my work and late hours and have been crucial .

Finally, WAJ is very lucky to have been served by Jane Garrett, our former Executive Director, with whom I worked for many years.

Jane helped in the creation of the Justice Fund.

Our current Executive Director, Bryan Roessler, is without peer and because of his many talents, WAJ is in the best position it has ever occupied to look to the future.

And so we move on with our eyes on the future.

In the words of Teddy Kennedy, “The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives on, and the dream shall never die.”